Trailblazers is an MBW interview series that turns the spotlight on music entrepreneurs with the potential to become the global business power players of tomorrow. This time, we meet Tommy Jinho Yoon, founder and CEO of Asia-focused music promoter International Creative Agency (ICA). Trailblazers is supported by TuneCore.
In 2024, Thailand’s prime minister and his soon-to-be successor shared a stage to announce a music festival.
Not a state occasion, or a diplomatic summit, a two-day event in Bangkok co-produced by Tommy Jinho Yoon, a Korean promoter who has spent three decades making exactly this kind of thing happen.
The event was Summer Sonic Bangkok, the first time the Japanese festival brand had been licensed outside its homeland. Secured through a three-year deal with Yoon’s International Creative Agency (ICA) as exclusive artist program coordinator, its Thai debut was headlined by OneRepublic and Lauv. It also featured acts such as Laufey, Aurora, Suede, Nothing But Thieves, YOASOBI, and BABYMETAL.
For ICA chairman and CEO Yoon, the involvement of national leaders reflected a fundamental shift in how governments across the region are thinking about the sector.
“It demonstrates that live music is increasingly being recognized as a strategic cultural and economic asset,” he says. “Governments throughout Southeast Asia understand that major concerts and festivals generate tourism, international visibility, employment, and investment. Live events are no longer viewed simply as entertainment – they are becoming part of broader economic and cultural development strategies.”
Through ICA, Yoon has brought the likes of Mariah Carey, Muse, My Chemical Romance, Liam Gallagher and The 1975 to audiences across Korea, China, Thailand, the Philippines and beyond.
One of his most enduring achievements is Incheon Pentaport Rock Festival, which grew out of 1999’s Tri-port Rock Festival – Korea’s first attempt at a major international rock festival – and which he has programmed since it relaunched under the Pentaport name in 2006.
From The Strokes, Franz Ferdinand and Chemical Brothers through to Nine Inch Nails, Dua Lipa and Weezer, Pentaport’s longevity reflects the philosophy that has guided ICA from the beginning: that building something sustainable in Asia requires patience, consistency, and a willingness to adapt to markets the rest of the world is still trying to understand.
“What has not changed is the importance of relationships,” explains Yoon. “This business remains built on trust, reputation, and long-term partnerships.”
“This business remains built on trust, reputation, and long-term partnerships.”
Alongside ICA, Yoon is now building wealive, a content and platform business whose ualive app combines music media, artist discovery, fan engagement and live event promotion within a single ecosystem. Through ongoing collaborations with Universal Music Korea, Warner Music Korea and Sony Music Korea, Yoon says the platform has become a marketing and audience development tool for artists across the region.
Korea’s venue infrastructure, meanwhile, remains one of the most pressing issues he and his peers face. With Seoul’s Jamsil Olympic Stadium under renovation, major venues regularly blocked by sports schedules, and a persistent gap in mid-sized capacity, the market continues to let tours slip through its fingers.
Live Nation‘s recent selection as preferred bidder for the long-stalled 18,000-capacity Goyang Arena project offers some hope, but the cumulative cost in lost shows, lost tourism revenue and lost opportunity remains, in Yoon’s own words, in the hundreds of millions.
Here, we speak with Yoon to discuss how the Asian live market has transformed, what the global music business still hasn’t learned from K-pop, and why he believes Asia’s most innovative business models are yet to come…
YOU FOUNDED ICA TO BRING INTERNATIONAL ARTISTS TO KOREA, CHINA AND ACROSS ASIA. WHAT DID THE LIVE BUSINESS IN THE REGION LOOK LIKE WHEN YOU STARTED – AND HOW DIFFERENT IS IT NOW?
When I first entered the live entertainment business, Asia was often viewed as a secondary market by many international artists and agencies. Touring infrastructure was less developed, information traveled more slowly, and there were fewer experienced regional partners capable of coordinating large-scale international tours across multiple territories.
“When I first entered the live entertainment business, Asia was often viewed as a secondary market by many international artists and agencies.”
Today, the landscape is completely different. Asia has become one of the most important growth regions in the global live music industry. Markets such as Korea, Japan, China, Thailand, Indonesia, Singapore, and the Philippines now play a significant role in international touring strategies. Production standards have risen dramatically, audiences are more connected than ever, and artists increasingly recognize Asia as an essential part of their global careers.
YOU’VE POSITIONED ICA AS THE LINK BETWEEN GLOBAL ARTISTS AND ASIAN AUDIENCES. WHAT DOES IT TAKE TO MAKE THAT RELATIONSHIP WORK – AND WHAT SEPARATES THE ARTISTS WHO GET IT RIGHT FROM THOSE WHO DON’T?
The artists who succeed understand that Asia is not one market, but many distinct cultures with different fan behaviors, media ecosystems and consumer habits.
“The artists who succeed understand that Asia is not one market, but many distinct cultures with different fan behaviors, media ecosystems and consumer habits.”
The artists who get it right invest time in understanding their audiences, engage authentically and approach each market with respect. They recognize that building a sustainable fan base requires patience and consistency.
The ones who struggle often assume that success elsewhere automatically translates into success in Asia. That is rarely the case.
YOU SAY ASIA ISN’T ONE MARKET. CAN YOU GIVE A CONCRETE EXAMPLE OF WHAT THAT MEANS IN PRACTICE?
Rock music is a good example. Korea and Japan have long-established rock cultures that can support major international acts and festivals, while other markets in Southeast Asia may lean more heavily toward pop, hip-hop, or EDM. The same artist can sell arenas in one market and struggle to fill a much smaller venue in another. That’s why regional touring requires local knowledge, rather than a one-size-fits-all approach.
SOUTH KOREA IS THE SEVENTH LARGEST RECORDED MUSIC MARKET IN THE WORLD. DOES THE DOMINANCE OF K-POP MAKE IT HARDER OR EASIER TO BRING INTERNATIONAL ACTS INTO THE MARKET?
I believe it actually makes it easier. K-pop has helped create one of the most passionate and engaged music fan cultures in the world. Korean audiences are highly sophisticated consumers of music and entertainment. They actively discover new artists and are comfortable supporting live experiences.
The challenge is not competing with K-pop. The challenge is understanding where an international artist fits within the market and building the right strategy around that audience. When positioned correctly, international artists can thrive alongside K-pop rather than compete against it.
EVERYONE TALKS ABOUT WHAT THE GLOBAL INDUSTRY CAN LEARN FROM K-POP. WHAT’S ONE LESSON PEOPLE THINK THEY’VE LEARNED BUT HAVE ACTUALLY MISUNDERSTOOD?
Many people think K-pop’s success is simply about social media, technology or fan engagement tactics. In reality, the foundation is long-term artist development.
The most successful companies invest years into training, content creation, community building and audience development before expecting major commercial results. The technology matters, but the long-term commitment behind it matters even more.
YOU’VE BEEN VOCAL ABOUT VENUE INFRASTRUCTURE BEING ONE OF THE BIGGEST CONSTRAINTS ON THE KOREAN LIVE MARKET. CAN YOU GIVE A SPECIFIC EXAMPLE OF WHAT THAT COSTS IN PRACTICE?
One example was Madonna’s Rebel Heart Tour. At the time, the production required a stadium configuration capable of supporting large structural poles and rigging elements in specific positions, but there was no suitable venue available in Korea that could accommodate those requirements.
“It is less about a single missed show and more about the cumulative impact on the market over time.”
While that is one specific example, venue availability remains an ongoing challenge. There are periods when Korea’s major venues are fully booked, under renovation, or unavailable due to scheduling conflicts. During those times, international tours sometimes bypass Korea altogether because there is no venue that matches the artist’s scale and production requirements.
It is less about a single missed show and more about the cumulative impact on the market over time. Korea has world-class audiences and one of the strongest entertainment industries globally, yet we continue to face venue shortages and limited mid-sized infrastructure. Every missed show represents lost revenue not only for promoters but also for hotels, airlines, restaurants, tourism businesses and local workers. Improving infrastructure would benefit the entire ecosystem.
WHICH ASIAN MARKET TODAY DO YOU THINK IS MOST UNDERRATED BY THE INTERNATIONAL MUSIC BUSINESS?
I would say Thailand. Thailand has a strong live music culture, an active tourism industry and a young audience that is highly engaged with international music. We are seeing increasing interest from artists, agencies and festival brands, and I believe the country is positioned to become one of the most important live entertainment hubs in Southeast Asia.
SUMMER SONIC BANGKOK WAS THE FIRST TIME THE FESTIVAL BRAND HAD BEEN LICENSED OUTSIDE JAPAN. WHAT’S THE VALUE OF BRINGING AN ESTABLISHED BRAND INTO A NEW MARKET VERSUS BUILDING SOMETHING ORIGINAL?
Established brands bring immediate credibility, audience trust and international recognition. They can accelerate market development because fans, sponsors and partners already understand what the brand represents.
At the same time, every market is unique. Success requires adapting the concept to local audiences rather than simply replicating what works elsewhere. Whether it is an established brand or a new concept, the goal should always be creating something that genuinely resonates with the local market.
HOW DO YOU BUILD AND MAINTAIN GLOBAL AGENCY RELATIONSHIPS FROM SEOUL – AND WHAT DOES ICA OFFER THAT A LOCAL PROMOTER IN EACH MARKET COULDN’T?
Relationships are built through consistency, transparency and performance over many years.
While local promoters often possess excellent market knowledge, ICA operates across multiple territories. We can provide regional strategies rather than isolated opportunities. We understand how to connect Korea, China, Thailand, the Philippines and other markets into a cohesive touring plan.
“While local promoters often possess excellent market knowledge, ICA operates across multiple territories.”
For agencies and artists, that regional perspective creates efficiency, reduces risk and unlocks opportunities that might not exist through a single-market approach.
ALONGSIDE ICA YOU’RE RUNNING WEALIVE – A CONTENT AND PLATFORM BUSINESS WITH UALIVE, A POP MUSIC CURATION APP, AND ONGOING COLLABORATIONS WITH UNIVERSAL, WARNER AND SONY. HOW DO THE TWO BUSINESSES CONNECT – AND WHY BUILD BOTH?
ICA focuses on live experiences, while wealive focuses on content, discovery, and fan engagement.
“The future of the music industry is increasingly interconnected. Fans discover artists digitally, engage with content socially and ultimately experience those artists live.”
The future of the music industry is increasingly interconnected. Fans discover artists digitally, engage with content socially and ultimately experience those artists live. By operating across both live entertainment and content platforms, we can better understand audience behavior and create stronger connections between artists and fans throughout the entire journey.
The goal is not simply to sell tickets. It is to build long-term communities around artists.
WHAT DOES SUCCESS LOOK LIKE FOR UALIVE IN THREE YEARS, AND WHAT’S THE MONETIZATION MODEL?
Success for ualive means becoming a meaningful discovery and engagement platform connecting artists and fans throughout Asia. We see opportunities across multiple revenue streams, including advertising, strategic brand partnerships, premium experiences, ticketing integrations, content partnerships, and artist-focused services.
Ultimately, our goal is to create value for both fans and artists while strengthening the connection between digital engagement and live experiences.
AFTER 25 YEARS OF BRINGING SOME OF THE WORLD’S BIGGEST ARTISTS TO ASIA, WHAT’S THE SHOW OR MOMENT THAT HAS STAYED WITH YOU MOST?
There have been many memorable moments throughout my career, but one that stands out was seeing Muse perform last year in front of a sold-out crowd at Munhak Stadium in Korea. Not simply because of the scale of the event, but because it represented something much bigger. It demonstrated how far the Asian live music market has come and reinforced the fact that audiences in this region are every bit as passionate and engaged as anywhere in the world.
That said, what stays with me most are not necessarily the biggest shows. Whether it is 30,000 people in a stadium or a few hundred fans in a small venue, the moments I remember are when music transcends language, culture, and geography, and creates a genuine connection between artists and audiences. Those are the moments that remind me why I entered this business in the first place.
FIVE YEARS FROM NOW, WHAT WILL THE ASIAN LIVE ENTERTAINMENT BUSINESS LOOK LIKE THAT WOULD SURPRISE PEOPLE TODAY?
I believe Asia will become one of the primary drivers of global touring rather than simply a destination on international routes.
“What may surprise people most is that some of the industry’s most innovative business models will likely originate in Asia rather than the traditional Western markets.”
We will see more Asian festivals operating internationally, more globally successful artists emerging from the region, and far greater integration between live entertainment, technology, content, and fan communities.
What may surprise people most is that some of the industry’s most innovative business models will likely originate in Asia rather than the traditional Western markets.
IF YOU COULD CHANGE ONE THING ABOUT THE GLOBAL MUSIC INDUSTRY, WHAT WOULD IT BE AND WHY?
I would encourage the industry to think more long-term. Too often, decisions are driven by short-term results rather than sustainable growth. Building artists, developing markets, and creating meaningful fan relationships requires patience.
“The most successful careers and businesses in our industry are rarely built overnight.”
The most successful careers and businesses in our industry are rarely built overnight. They are built through trust, consistency, and a commitment to creating value over time. That philosophy has guided ICA from the beginning, and continues to shape how we approach the future.
